The International Collaborative on Extreme Conformations in Dogs (ICECDogs) has published a position paper, heavily informed by research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), that helps owners to recognise good innate health in dogs. The international agreement is the first of its kind and provides a guide for animal caregivers, and the wider public, to identify healthy natural physical characteristics in dogs and to predict and assess potential health and welfare based on body shape. This will help anyone who cares about dogs to understand how likely a dog is to suffer from negative impact ..read more

40-60% of our UK pets may be obese, so if you don't think yours is overweight, you might need to think again. How long do we want our pets to live? The answer is obvious - as long as possible! Our animal companions are truly members of the family, sharing our lives, our beds, and sometimes even our meals. Unfortunately, our tendency to demonstrate love to our pets by feeding them more than they need can directly impact how long we have to spend with them and how good their quality of life may be during that time. At least half of pet dogs and cats in the UK are considered overweight or obese1 ..read more

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis in dogs and is the leading cause of chronic pain. It is a disease of the joints that gets worse over time and can result in loss of joint mobility and lameness, making it harder for a dog to do normal everyday activities. A recent study looking into the prevalence of osteoarthritis in young dogs found some incredible, and shocking, results. A ,,recent study looking into the prevalence of osteoarthritis in young dogs found some incredible, and shocking, results. The Study found in their group of young dogs aged 8 months to 4 years old tha ..read more

How can we feed more sustainably? If there are two things people are passionate about these days, it’s their pets, and the planet. UK Pet Food’s 2023 pet population report estimates that there are 12 million dogs and 11 million cats owned by UK households (1). The pet products industry is booming, including toys, apparel, pet-friendly travel and luxury daycare options, and of course, pet food. Pet food sales worldwide have been rising steadily, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. 2022 saw an estimated $133 billion (USD) in global commercial pet food sales (2).  Likewise, expecting sus ..read more

In ,,2018, French Bulldogs had overtaken the Labrador Retriever as the UK’s most popular dog breed for the first time since records began. The French bulldog, or “Frenchie”, is a sturdy, solid, compact small dog with a short and smooth coat. French bulldogs are ‘brachycephalic’, due to their flat and wide-shaped head. French bulldog’s facial features are similar to those of a human infant, a phenomenon known as neoteny. Neoteny, as well as the fact that they are perceived to be good family dogs, with good characters and not needing huge amounts of exercise (not strictly true) are reasons they ..read more

With the recent news that a dog in Portugal had supposedly lived until 31 years old, we asked our community of 18,000 vets and vet nurses at Veterinary Voices UK to gather their top tips for ensuring your dog lives a long, healthy life. Here's the wisdom they shared: (1) Don't call your dog 'Lucky' - you are ensuring that your dog will die young of some disease your vet has never seen before, or it will be hit by a car. (2) Size matters! Keep your dog a healthy weight - just like humans, overweight dogs are at greater risk of diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, cancer, and many other conditio ..read more

The Dutch government accepted the law in 2014, which prohibits the breeding of about 20 short-snouted dog breeds, as defined by the system of head measurement, using traffic light colors classification. Since then there have been numerous changes and updates on this and recently they have moved to further tighten up on breeding. In March 2019, the report with enforcement criteria for the breeding of brachycephalic dogs was published by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. The Dutch Kennel Club ‘Raad van Beheer’ together with the breeding clubs of the involved breeds, su ..read more

Back in April 2022, a study made the headlines, after a peer-reviewed analysis of around 2,500 pets found that vegan dogs visit the vet less often and require fewer medications. This week, we have another, with the Guardian stating ‘Cats may get health benefits from vegan diet, study suggests’ and ‘Owners who fed their pet a plant-based diet reported fewer visits to the vet and less medication use’ It certainly sounds amazing - a diet that is healthier for cats and dogs, while also saving the environment, and resulting in fewer vet visits and less medication. However, journalism like this must ..read more

Many dog owners know the frustration of having a dog who is constantly itchy. Whether it’s being woken from a sound sleep by a shaking bed and jingling collar, or listening to never-ending paw licking during dinner, itching is a condition that affects the comfort of the pet, but also their human family. Chronic itchiness, or pruritus, can lead to skin damage, painful sores and infections requiring multiple visits to the vet and the prescription of medication such as tablets, injections and frequent medicated baths. It’s no wonder that owners of itchy pets are eager to find a quick, effective s ..read more

Brucellosis, caused by the bacterium Brucella canis, is a gram-negative bacterium. It is a highly infectious zoonotic disease (which means it can spread from animal to human) and is the primary focus of this article because of the need to support the veterinary profession, the public and dog rescue organisations in our attempts to manage, test and recognise the disease in small animal practice. Brucella Brucellosis is of global significance due to its adverse impact on public health, economics, and trade. Despite being one of the most prevalent zoonoses worldwide, attention given to global br ..read more